Mornings With Martha

"I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time."
-Steven Wright-


"Every morning a gazelle wakes up.  It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.  Every morning a lion wakes up.  It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.  It doesn't matter weather you are a lion or a gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
-African Proverb- 













One of my favorite Vineyard past-times is exploring the island.  Not large, some twenty-six miles wide and less than a quarter that size in breadth, it seems to have an endless amount to discover.  I often stumble upon a new road that leads to a new beach, or a new trail that leads to a new bluff.  I am always looking for a shot that I have not yet taken and at the same time enjoying the natural beauty of the land as I explore.  


I never "sleep in" on the Vineyard even though my time there can always be described as vacation.  I can sleep anywhere, and while on the island I try not to waste a moment.  My favorite time to explore is just after sunrise.  I head to my favorite coffee haunt, Mocha Motts, and grab a large hazelnut iced coffee and maybe a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on a freshly made everything bagel, or a toffee biscuit.  Doesn't matter, as long as I have my Motts fix I'm ready to go.  I tend to find some of the best shots when randomly exploring rather than planning and plotting a destination, so I try to find any new roads or trails that I am unfamiliar with and see if I can lose myself and in turn discover something new as I find my way back out.  

Sometimes I find that a location I'm quite familiar with takes on a very different light depending on the time of day, or year. Early morning sun casts a soft shadow on this weather-worn fence, extending a mile or so along this rocky, shell-strewn beach.  This is the inlet side of State Road.  Built on a natural land bridge separating the ocean of Nantucket Sound from this warm and calm body of water.  


A prime spot for shell fishing, here both man and bird enjoy the riches provided by the sea.   The shore is a virtual battlefield of quahog and little neck corpses.  The sea gulls pluck these and other snacks; crabs, whelk and scallop to name a few, and drop them from the sky so as to smash them open on the rocks of the beach revealing the tender trophies they seek.  The remainder litters the rocks and sand and is washed over and ground down by the tide becoming a part of the landscape. 

The Native American's would carve and polish shells just like this one to use as jewelry and even money going back hundreds if not thousands of years.  The purple hue of this "Wampum" can only be found in these waters.


My Mocha Motts, my camera, and my mornings spent with Martha... Priceless!  


I used a focal length of 70mm and brought the aperture down to f22 with a 1/30th of a second shutter speed to capture the detail of the water in the shell and the surrounding sand.

Business Hours...

"I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
- Robert McCloskey -


Ahhh, I do love visiting Martha's Vineyard.  More than just "going home."  Yes it is beautiful; ocean views from craggy cliffs, and beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, but there is something else.  Something that can't be described but must be felt.  The attitude if you will.  The encapsulation of the environment and those filling that space, give the Vineyard it's unique, and yes, magical feel...


And then there is the flat-out, sometimes brutal, take it or leave it, we'll still be here doing what we've always done, but we'd be glad to help you if you get over yourself honesty, that I believe really separates my fellow New Englanders from the rest of the country and probably the world.  And our sense of humor...


Understand that unlike the tropics or the temperate climates of Southern California, and Florida, New England has a brutal climate in the winter.  Many of its residents and founders lived by the sea and worked on the ocean and that is hard living in any season.  This reality of life at the whim of mother nature has forced the creation of a hard but brilliant sense of humor, not unlike the formation of a diamond from coal if I do say so myself, as a survival tool to ease the tensions.  And the people, honest and hard working, at times (most if not all of the time) unforgiving, without excuse but willing to do what it takes to get the job done, can take some getting used to.  But we are loyal, and once accepted you will never be left in the cold as long as we have shelter and a fire... and as long as you have thick enough skin! 


This sign is a favorite of mine.  On the surface it may appear to be a joke, an attempt to be funny.  Or it may even be offensive to those locked into the Matrix of society, unable to deal with uncertainty.  But I think it is actually just the truth.  And the attitude of that truth, the fact that this bakery and its owners are basically telling you that they'll be here to serve you and serve you well, but on their terms, and your only recourse is to "deal with it," in this day and age is awesome, and in turn funny!


But maybe that's just my sense of humor, being a local and all...

PEAFOWL?

"Peacock's-Eye-View"

"People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet."

-Sa'Di-

Peacocks have always captured our imagination and have held prominent positions in almost all major religions of human history.  In Greco-Roman mythology peacocks represented the goddess Hera.  In Hinduism it is associated with the goddess Saraswati, a deity of benevolence, patience, compassion, and knowledge.  In Babylonia and Persia the peacock was seen as a guardian of royalty, and in early Christianity it was seen as a symbol of eternal life.* 


Although most people use the term "peacock" to refer to both sexes, in fact only males are peacocks.  Females are peahens and together they are called peafowl.  The distinctive tail feathers of these pheasants account for more than 60% of the birds' body length.  Females are said to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of the males' tail feathers.**

There are two common varieties, the blue peacock of India and Sri Lanka and the green peacock found in Myanmar and Burma.  These breathtaking birds having been admired for thousands of years were said to have been imported to Israel by King Solomon and similarly imported to Egypt during the early dynasties.

Peafowl are relatively weak flyers and spend much of their time on the ground. although they can fly short distances usually when escaping danger and will often roost in trees at night.^

I shot this picture at full zoom 300mm focal length and  f5.6 aperture to bring the spots on the tail into focus while blurring the head and background of the image.

*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peafowl

**www.animals.nationalgeographic.com

^www.digitalvertebrae.com